The present invention relates to an upright dispenser for supporting a roll of paper towels.
Dispensers for rotatably supporting a roll of paper towels in an upright state are known, e.g., see U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,487,376; 4,792,102; 5,467,956; and DES. 298,290, for example. Such dispensers are characterized by a base and an upright post projecting from the base and sized to fit loosely within a center core of the roll, permitting the roll to rotate when a user applies an unwinding force to an endmost sheet of the roll.
A problem involved in the use of such dispensers results from the manner of manufacturing the rolls themselves. That is, a wide sheet of toweling is wound on a long disposable (usually cardboard) core to form a long roll which is then cut by saw blades to the commercially desirable lengths. During the cutting step it is not uncommon for the core to be deformed, i.e., wherein one side of the core is crushed toward an opposite side. As a result, it can be difficult to fit the core onto the post of the dispenser.
Also, when the core has been loaded on the dispenser, a lower end of the roll bears against an upwardly facing surface of the dispenser. The resulting friction between the roll and dispenser during unwinding of the roll can cause the roll to bind and inhibit the dispensing action.
It is, therefore, an object of the invention to minimize or obviate problems of the above-described type.